A diary excerpt

Waterloo Region Record

Below is a short excerpt from Franklin Wegenast's journal entry for April 5, 1938. After arriving at his hotel in Innsbruck on April 4 he learned that Adolf Hitler would be staying in the same hotel and giving a public address the following night, just days before Austrians were to vote in a plebescite for union with Germany.

A balcony in Wegenast's hotel room overlooked a public square and beginning at noon on April 5 he watched a huge crowd gather and chant and sing in anticipation of Hitler's speech. Later he wrote:

10:30 at night. This is tremendous, kolossal. I have never seen or imagined anything like it before — shall never again. No amount of stage-management could have produced all of this result. Its nature is illustrated by something I saw late this afternoon. A dog, of the Scotch wire-haired type — obviously of a kind not lacking in natural courage — ran across the square. It was not being chased; but one could see that it was really terrified at the manifestation of sheer animal force in the cries of that crowd.

Night. The Fuehrer has made his speech. There have been the usual presentations and introductions. The proceedings have been broadcast from the hall to the crowds in the streets. There was no diminution of the enthusiasm. The square to the left of my balcony is packed farther than I can see. On my right and below me a dense mass of humanity of all grades and classes. They want once more to see and hear the Fuehrer. They will not be denied. It is announced through the loud speakers that the Fuehrer will speak. A great cry goes up. He speaks. He is a consummate mover of men. Every sentence is weighed with approbation-drawing force. For every sentence he draws a thunderous roar of acquiescence. Only two or three minutes, but it would be enough to live a life for — many lives.

This could not happen in England or in America — certainly not in France. The people would not throw themselves into it like this . . . Where is this heading?

I think Hitler is the best speaker — that is to say, the most effective speaker, I have ever heard — I would not call him an orator; he does not orate. Like Marc Anthony in Shakespeare he speaks "right on" . . . every sentence counts — and usually gets applause. But about every third or fourth sentence comes with a tremendous punch. He reminds you of a black-smith. He is dynamic. His voice is something like that of the late Sir Robert Borden's [a prime minister of Canada]. It has a boom like distant thunder. He has a good voice but he abuses it by letting it rise in his climaxes to the point where it cracks. He yells. But it is what he says that counts. In the light of fuller knowledge than his auditors have, or than he has himself perhaps, what he says is something of clap-trap. But under the circumstances as he and his hearers see them, including the character and outlook of the German people, what he says is logical and sensible.